I. Field & Utility Summary
The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of apple tree. The apple tree is particularly useful in that it can be propagated clonally and provides distinctive fruit attributes.
II. Cultivation Summary
‘Hwangok’ originated from a planned cross in 1994 in Korea. The seed parent was ‘Kogetsu’ and the pollen parent was ‘Yataka’.
III. Parental Comparisons
‘Hwangok’ is similar to parent ‘Kogetsu’ (unpatented) in fruit size. ‘Hwangok’ differs from parent ‘Kogetsu’ in fruit shape and color. ‘Hwangok’ fruit is round, with a surface that is yellow-green with variable red patches, whereas parent ‘Kogetsu’ fruit is conical and its surface is red.
‘Hwangok’ is similar to parent ‘Yataka’ in fruit maturation timing. ‘Hwangok’ differs from parent ‘Yataka’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,001 P) in fruit shape, size, and color. ‘Hwangok’ fruit is globose, medium-sized, with a surface that is yellow-green with variable red patches covering about 10% surface area and patch color RHS 40D when ripe, whereas parent ‘Yataka’ fruit is oblate, large, and its surface is red.
‘Hwangok’ is different from both parents ‘Kogetsu’ and ‘Yataka’ because ‘Hwangok’ fruit is globose, medium-sized, and has a surface that is yellow-green with variable red patches.
IV. Closest Non-Parental Comparator
‘Hwangok’ differs from non-parent comparator ‘Hongro’ in fruit size, color, and flower petal position. ‘Hwangok’ fruit is small to medium-sized, has a surface that is yellow-green with variable red patches, and flowers that have distant relative position of petals, whereas ‘Hongro’ fruit is small, has a red surface, and flowers that have adjacent relative position of petals.
V. Breeding History
In 1994, pollen from a ‘Yataka’ apple tree was applied to emasculated flowers of a ‘Kogetsu’ apple tree in Korea. Between 1995 and 2004, the seeds derived from this pollination were extracted from mature fruit derived from this cross and screened to obtain favorable seedlings. Between 2005 and 2009, the seeds were screened and regional adaptability tests were carried out before a single plant from the stated cross was selected and named ‘Hwangok’ in 2009. The ‘Hwangok’ plant was then expanded by asexual propagation for five generations.
VI. Asexual Reproduction
Asexual reproduction of ‘Hwangok’ has been achieved using traditional grafting techniques. Five centimeter sections of branches from a ‘Hwangok’ plant were cut, and grafted onto pieces of M.9 rootstock stem, in Gunwi-gun/Gyeongsangbuk-do, in the Republic of Korea. Approximately three buds were present on each 5 cm branch piece. The grafted plant was grown under standard conditions, in Gunwi-gun/Gyeongsangbuk-do, in the Republic of Korea.
VII. Stability
Observations of trees from clonal propagations indicate that all trees have proven true to type and identical in all appearances to the original tree. No genetic variations were found, and therefore, its traits are stable.